Science, Vol.277, No.5333, 1796-1799, 1997
A Mound Complex in Louisiana at 5400-5500 Years Before the Present
An 11-mound site in Louisiana predates other known mound complexes with earthen enclosures in North America by 1900 years. Radiometric, luminescence, artifactual, geomorphic, and pedogenic data date the site to over 5000 calendar years before present. Evidence suggests that the site was occupied by hunter-gatherers who seasonally exploited aquatic resources and collected plant species that later became the first domesticates in eastern North America.
Keywords:SOIL ORGANIC-MATTER;RADIOCARBON